Maria José Sabater obtained her degree in Pharmacy from Universidad de Valencia (Spain) in 1987 and her Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the same University in 1991. After completing her doctorate, she joined the group of Prof. Waldemar Adam at the Würzburg University (Germany) as a post doctoral fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, working on photochemistry (1993-1994). Thereafter she moved to Poitiers University (France), with a post-doc fellowship from the European Union´s Human Capital and Mobility Program under the supervision of Prof. Michel Guisnet (1995). This time her research was focused on heterogeneous catalysis for fine chemicals.

In early 1996, she returned to Spain and joined the Prof. A. Corma´s group at the Instituto de Tecnología Química (UPV-CSIC) as scientific researcher (Program for the Incorporation of Researchers and Technologists from the Ministry of Education and Science). The focal themes of her research entailed asymmetric catalysis and the discovery and design of novel microporous solids for application as catalysts in fine chemical, pharmaceutical and environmental technologies. In 2002 she was appointed Tenured Scientist at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) as a staff member of the Instituto de Tecnología Química.

Her current research interests include catalysis, nanotechnology in catalysis and new materials

She is author of publications (including articles, conference proceedings and book chapters) on carbocationic chemistry, photochemistry, new materials and catalysis. She also teaches in the Master of Sustainable Chemistry in the subjects of Homogeneous Catalysis and Fine Chemistry. On the applied side, she holds several international and national patents and licensed technologies.